TEAM OF THE WEEK: Hand softball stamps passport to postseason

NEW HAVEN — The math was pretty simple.

Entering this week, the Hand softball team stood at 4-1, halfway to the eight victories necessary to qualify for the state tournament.

With four games on the docket, the Tigers knew they controlled their own destiny.

 “We’ve been talking about it this past week and we knew we had the potential to qualify for the state tournament,” senior left fielder Kate Boudreau said. “It was discussed. We knew it was a possibility.”

The Tigers knocked off Foran, Branford, Guilford and then Hillhouse on Friday to clinch a return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

A week prior, Hand defeated Mercy and Law to earn Register Team of the Week honors.

Last season the Tigers finished at 7-13, falling just short of the playoffs.

“That was definitely something that was fueling us for this year,” Boudreau said. “It was one of the goals we set for ourselves, winning the eight games to qualify for the state tournament.”

Hand has started 8-1 with a team that has five freshmen on its roster, including three starters.